LSU, Houston, and Georgia, three of the fastest men’s 4×100 meters relay teams this season, have been drawn together in the same semi-final for the first track event at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday’s Day 1 in Eugene, Ore.
When Are 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships, How To Watch Live
The men’s sprint relay races are the opening track events at the HAYWARD FIELD on the first day and we can expect to see some fireworks from the get-go. ESPN3, ESPNU, and ESPN2 will provide all the coverage from the first day.
LSU, the nation’s in-form team, which is anchored by sprint double hopeful Terrance Laird, will start from six in the first heat, while Houston, which will feature Shaun Maswanganyi, starts in lane seven.
The Cougars enter this weekend’s championships as the No. 1 ranked team with their collegiate leading time of 38.49 seconds. The Tigers, in the meantime, are ranked No. 4 with a time of 38.58s.
Meanwhile, the nation’s third quickest this season, Georgia, comes into the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 38.57s, and leading sprinter Matthew Boling, who will also do the 100m/200m double, will be running on the anchor leg for the Bulldogs.
Also starting in the first heat are Purdue which has a seeded time of 39.06, with Arkansas seeded at 39.26.
North Carolina A&T, meanwhile, comes into the national championships with the second best time this season at 38.54s and the Aggies will start in heat two against a Texas A&M setup which has a quick 38.79s best performance this season.
Kentucky, with freshman standout Lance Lang in its lineup, will also feature in section two with TCU, Ohio State and Iowa also facing the starter.
The third and final heat will see Florida State leading the way with a 38.67s performance, while Oregon, Texas Tech, and Texas also featuring in this section.
The top two finishers from each heat will grab an automatic qualifying spot to the final. The eight-team championship race will be completed by the next two best times from the teams outside the top two from each section.
Action in the men’s 4x100m will get underway on Wednesday at 5:02 pm Pacific Time / 8:02 pm ET.
